Recent News

Tuesday 22nd August 2017

Two members of the Hart Innovations team have headed back to Germany to discuss the industry's latest developments with some of the biggest names in thrombosis, haemostasis and vascular biology.

Alexander Ebinger, Head of R&D and Christian Genz, R&D Scientist, attended the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Congress 2017 in Berlin.

The ISTH is held biannually and is frequented by thousands of professionals looking to discuss the latest sciences in their field and network with other like-minded scientists.

Alexander said: “The congress has been around for over 50 years and is normally split into two parts. The first part is the Scientific and Standardization Committee (SSC), which is strictly for medical professionals.

“Beginning after that is the industrial portion of the conference, which includes a range of exhibitions."

World-renowned companies such as Bayer AG, Siemens Healthcare and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, have exhibitions at the event and many seminars are undertaken in fields such as coagulant and anticoagulant mechanisms.

Alexander continued: “We don’t tend to have a stand at the ISTH We go primarily to meet a lot of our distribution partners and other companies we could potentially do business with, as the congress is a great networking opportunity.

“Besides networking, there is a lot of state of the art science on display with talks taking place on medical progress during the five day event.”

Christian said: “The scientific poster exhibit is where a lot of the research information is presented. They are rotated out every day for new ones, and there are thousands shown throughout the congress.

“It’s a chance to get a look at up-the-minute research activities and results from academics and scientists throughout the world.”

It wasn’t all work for the pair as they headed into the capital to explore the sights. Also, as Christian is from Berlin and Alexander from Stuttgart, both had the opportunity to visit family.

Alexander continued: “It was great to catch up with my family after the conference. On another evening our distribution partner, Haemochrom Diagnostica, invited me to an event, which was 1920’s Berlin themed and featured a capella music and a Berlin inspired buffet. I met a lot of people there that could be helpful to Hart Innovations and could possibly lead to contracts in the future.”

For more information on the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis go to www.isth.org

tocHart Innovations joins forces with Innovate UK

Friday 21st April 2017

HART INNOVATIONS, sister company to Hart Biologicals, is proud to announce a pioneering knowledge-transfer partnership with Manchester University and Innovate UK.

The partnership will look at the production of recombinant Heparinase I, which is used to eliminate the effects of Heparin in blood, and will feature a grant from Innovate UK totalling over £100,000.

Heparin is a medication, which is used in hospitals as a blood thinner.

Heparinase I is added to some clotting tests if Heparin has been administered to the patient to check whether the patient can clot independently once the Heparin is cleared from the system after surgical procedures.

The knowledge-transfer partnership is scheduled to take up to 24 months with the last six to nine months looking into up-scaling and commercialisationand the first18 months dedicated solely to the scientific process.

By working with Manchester University, Hart Innovations is able to utilise technology only available at the institution, such as Fermenters, Bio reactors, and several analytical techniques, that will allow Hart Innovations to create the bio organisms needed for the Expression of the target enzyme in better quality and higher yield than would be possible at its own labs.

Alexander Ebinger, Head of Research and Development, said, “Hart Innovations want to be the B2B providers of high quality raw materials in the Haemostasis field.

“We’ve already had interest from several international organisations, but all companies that use Heparinase in their medical experiments and testing devices are potential customers.

The project will act as a three-way pact between the university, Hart Innovations and an associate , usually, an associate or graduate from the institution.

Alexander added: “It’s very exciting for everyone and we’re hoping that in the next five years we can move Hart Innovations to the next level and move from being a service provider to small scale manufacturing of raw materials and active ingredients.”

tocHart Innovations on BBC News

Wednesday 5th April 2017

Hart Innovations’ Head of Research and Development, Alex Ebinger, has recently been featured on BBC News as part of an interview about the triggering of Article 50, the future of EU Nationals in the UK and how companies are dependent on trade between the UK and countries from the European Union.

Below is a screen shot of the update from the BBC News website:

Alex said: “ We have several key suppliers who come from Germany and from other European countries as well. We are concerned that we’ll need a quick resolution.

“Customs holdups or tariffs that might be put in place could impact the company in a massive way.”

tocVenturefest success for Hart Innovations

Monday 14th November 2016

ALEXANDER Ebinger was delighted to be asked to take part in a panel debate at the recent Venturefest event in Newcastle.

He took part in the event, which was held at St James’s Park, by giving his views on Intellectual Property issues with around 700 delegates in attendance.

Alexander said: “It was fantastic to be invited to take part, and while there weren’t many biotech organisations taking part, it was interesting to hear the views from lots of different sectors.

“I’d given a talk on innovation at a Sunderland business event about six months ago, and someone there had recommended me to get involved with Venturefest.

“The businesses who were there were mainly focused on engineering, software or IP law, but there were also representatives from all of the North East universities.

“I was on a panel with an IP lawyer, a patent investigator and the MD of Animmersion, a company specialising on animations and virtual reality.

“We all had to introduce ourselves for a couple of minutes, then Alex Shiel, who led the panel, had some questions for all of us on whether IP is worth protecting, and then he opened the discussion up to the floor and we got some really good questions from the audience. It was really good to be involved.”

Alexander picked up plenty of potential new contacts in the networking part of the event, and is particularly excited about a project a professor from Newcastle university spoke to him about.

He added: “It was a bit like a knowledge exchange, and there could be an interesting link-up with Newcastle Uni who are looking into a quantifiable approach to innovation.

“We will see what comes of it, but all in all it was an excellent event and I picked up a lot from it.”

tocHart Innovations serves up successful breakfast seminar

Tuesday 3rd May 2016

HART INNOVATIONS’ Alexander Ebinger and Christian Genz were delighted to take to the stage at the University of Sunderland’s Breakfast Seminar Series.

Alexander, who is Head of Research and Development, and Christian, who is a Development Scientist at the organisation, chose to present to the group a key example of the entire innovation process at the company and how they progress from an initial problem to the final solution.

The presentation received brilliant feedback from members and also gave Hart Innovations the opportunity to explain the role of the medical research organisation and its international success.

Alexander said: “We were delighted to be approached by the University of Sunderland’s Business School to give this talk and meet other businesses from the region.

“In light of the innovation topic, we chose to highlight first our reasons and drivers for innovation before going into detail of a particular project we carried out.

“It was excellent to have a captive audience and we hope we inspired business members to look at innovating in their own workplace.”

Rob Worrall, Principal Lecturer of External Engagement at Sunderland Business School, was delighted to have Hart Innovations present after their win at last year’s North East Business Awards.

He said: “As the winner for Innovation 2015, Hart Innovations were invited to speak on the subject at a Business Breakfast Seminar.

“The seminar was the fourth in a series of breakfast events organised by the University of Sunderland Business School in which award-winning business leaders share their experience and expertise on the major challenges facing their companies today.

“Alexander Ebinger and Christian Genz gave a fascinating insight into being part of a dynamic team passionate about developing innovative applications to support the development of products which ultimately improve healthcare outcomes for tens of thousands of people.

“The subsequent discussion and feedback demonstrated that participants were highly engaged in the debate and found the overall experience worthwhile and informative.“

At the end of the session members were invited to comment and ask questions.

Christian Genz added: “Although we were discussing an industry that wasn’t related to many members, it was great to take questions and show that innovation can happen in any workplace.

“One particular comment involving the use of patents even made us start to question our own views.

“We really enjoyed the event and are looking forward to attending the next breakfast seminar.”

The next seminar will take place on June 16 when Jeni Banks, Managing Director of the Mussel Club, a ‘Future 100 Young Entrepreneur’ and winner of the Growth Accelerator Award will share her experience of being an Emerging Business Leader already gaining recognition for her achievements at national and international level.

tocHart Innovations’ shortlist success

Wednesday 2nd March 2016

HART INNOVATIONS is delighted to announce that it has been shortlisted in the North East Business Awards again in 2016.

The company who won the Innovation Award in the grand final last year has been shortlisted once again for its pioneering research into trauma medical diagnostics.

Alexander Ebinger, Head of Research and Development at Hart Innovations, said: “To win last year was a massive honour for the company and testament to the life-changing research we carry out daily. This year we are delighted to be shortlisted once again for the category.”

Alexander added: “It’s been great this year to have the judging panel come into our laboratories and find out about the work we do. There’s so much more to see and demonstrate than what can be written down on an award submission paper.

“We are really looking forward to the ceremony at the end of the month and have our fingers crossed for a good result.”

tocIndustrial Placements - assets to Hart

Friday 16th October 2015

Industrial Placements key to growing Hart Biologicals

16th October 2015

HART BIOLOGICALS has continued to strengthen its growing team by providing one-year placements for two university students.

Shelley James and Adam Holvey will work in the Research and Development laboratories aiding with crucial research for the medical device company.

Shelley, who is 31 and from Seaham, is in her final year of BioMedical sciences at Sunderland University, while 21-year old Adam is in his final year at Teesside University.

After a more unconventional route into the field having previously worked as a beauty therapist then putting her career on hold to start a family, Shelley decided to pursue her interests and will be working on research into Protein Purification at Hart Innovations.

She said: “A lot of placements offered to us at university are in the healthcare sector, working at hospitals and surgeries. I wanted to focus on the more industrial element of how medical processes and machinery is formed and improved.

“Its great getting the opportunity to put my last two years of university experience into practice, the team have really helped us to settle in and I cannot wait to begin working on projects of my own.”

Living in Hartlepool, Hart Biologicals was a familiar sight to Adam as he made his way to university each day. After hearing about an opportunity through a university career’s day Adam applied for the position.

He said: “At the end of second year I knew I needed to go out there and get a placement for myself. I’m the only one in my year who has actually secured something and I’m confident that it will aid with my studies when I return to uni.

“There’s so much more to be done at Hart Biologicals, when you work on a project at university, at times you can be spoon-fed through different experiments, where the equipment is already set up and the research set out for you to complete.

“I’m really looking forward to working independently here and managing my own projects, setting up experiments and reviewing the results. I can’t wait to get started.”

Adam will be working with Hart Biologicals team on projects looking further into haemostasis research.

Alexander Ebinger, Head of Research and Development, said: “When I first began working with Hart Innovations, I assumed taking on placements was more of a benefit to students, but to be honest the students are a massive asset to us.

“The work they diligently carry out and the fresh approach they take to their roles really impresses us and I’m confident the two new students are going to do the same.”

tocHart Innovations says goodbye

Monday 28th September 2015

Hart Biologicals says goodbye to University placement students

1st September 2015

Alexandra Sarginson, 21, and Cassy Dear, 27, joined the company from Teesside University on a one-year placement.

Both working as Research and Development Scientists, the girls will be re-joining University for their fourth year on the same Biological Sciences Course.

Cassy, who is from Hartlepool, said: “I was originally studying Forensic Biology, but after coming here and really enjoying my work, I’ve switched to Biological Sciences like Alexandra.

“When I first joined the company my main project was looking at the product development files to ensure everything complied with ISO accreditations. I’ve also helped to further develop work on the Manchester Capillary Reagent to benefit its use in a clinical setting.

“It was great to be able to put my theory into practise and work independently rather than having testing already set up for me at university.

“I would love to come back to Hart Biologicals after my studies.”

Alexandra, who started at the same time as Cassy, carried out her placement at Hart Biologicals’ sister company Hart Innovations.

Alexandra, who is from Guisborough, said: “Working with Hart Innovations has given me so much valuable experience in scientific research.

“Under the guidance of Head of Research and Development Alexander Ebinger, each week I’m given the methods of testing to carry out and then write up my analysis.

“I feel so confident going back to university after being in such an active working environment. I hope I can come back after I’ve completed my studies.”

The girls return to their studies in September, but Head of Research and Development at Hart Biologicals, Keighley Campbell, hopes they will return.

She said: “It’s been brilliant having the girls here for the full year, they‘re definitely part of the family and we’ll all be sorry to see them leave.

“The work they’ve learnt during their time with us will be so valuable to their studies and we wish them every luck in their final University year.”

tocHart Innovations cooperation in the USA

Monday 28th September 2015

Hart Innovations hopes to further work across the pond

17th September 2015

Throughout July, Hart Innovations’ Head of Research and Development Alexander Ebinger visited New York to look into research from an organisation in the cosmetics industry that relates to a project currently undertaken by his team.

Whilst there, Alex also took a tour of the facilities at the University of Scranton and noted the significant difference in which the facilities hand over use of their technical equipment.

Alex said: “The company we visited had the added benefit of using the university’s facilities, something that is a bit more difficult for us to do over here in the UK.

“Universities will always have access to state-of-the-art equipment and the latest in scientific developments, but in the US companies can have use of these technologies at a fraction of the cost of the UK equivalent.

“It was brilliant to travel over there and speak about the mutual technologies we have been working on, and I hope this will be the start of a mutually beneficial project.”

tocVisit of the Hartlepool Power Station

Tuesday 4th August 2015

Hart Biologicals and Hart Innovations visit the Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station

On July 31st, a team from both Hart Biologicals and Hart Innovations had a chance to visit the local nuclear power plant.

We had an amazing day thanks to our very enthusiastic tour guides, heading these up was Raymond, who has worked in nuclear power plants for over 45 years and made sure we received the best possible education about everything that is going on in a plant such as this.

Our group mainly consisted of laboratory staff, scientists and engineers, so we were very happy to be given such a detailed insight into this amazing piece of technology.

Our thanks go to the EDF staff and our guides in particular for providing us with a safe and informative trip and for a great day in general.

tocNorth East Business Awards - 2015

Tuesday 28th July 2015

Hart Innovations proved it was the cream of the crop landing top honours at a glittering awards ceremony.

Having won recognition in the Teesside section of the North East Business Awards 2015 in March, Hart Innovations was thrown in against rival businesses from Tyneside, Durham and Wearside in the Grand Final at Hardwick Hall, in Sedgefield.

Hart Innovations, walked off with the Innovation Award after impressing the judges by developing a range of reagents for a new machine that required the firm to redesign a semi-automated reagent delivery system and turn it into a fully automated testing kit.

Alexander Ebinger, Head of Research and Development for Hart Innovations, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be named as the winners of the Innovation Award.

“A lot of hard work has gone into our projects, and it is fantastic to be recognised in this way especially with so much tough competition from other businesses across the region.”

”

tocEmployee honoured at Youth Awards

Tuesday 28th July 2015

AN EXCEPTIONAL employee from Hart Biological’s has been honoured at an awards celebration.

Richard Chapman, from the Hart Innovation’s Research and Development team was shortlisted for ‘Employee of the Year’ in the Hartlepool Youth Investment Awards.

The ceremony celebrated the town’s young workers while noting the drop in youth unemployment within Hartlepool, which has fallen to under 10% for the first time in six years.

Richard, who was awarded runner-up in his category, said: “I’ve been learning the ropes at Hart Biologicals for over four years now and have enjoyed every second.

“The company has continually supported my passion for science and it’s great to be representing them at these awards.”

Richard studied A levels at Hartlepool Sixth Form College and went on to Nottingham University. But after a year of study he decided it wasn’t the right path for him and returned home, taking on full-time work.

Richard then approached Hart Biologicals through a mutual friend and began working as a trainee R&D technician.

He is now a STEM Ambassador and also trains other staff on roles and protocol.

Richard added: “I have definitely grown with the company and have much more independence when working on projects.

“I took a route not many people are aware of and tried out many different avenues before I found a career I could settle into, so it’s great to get recognition for the work I’ve been doing.

“There’s such a great team at Hart Biologicals and I cannot wait to keep progressing within the company.”

tocHart Innovations Website project!

Monday 13th July 2015

Welcome to Hart Innovations new website!

After gaining some traction as a business over the last two years it became apparent that we needed a web presence as well, to promote the business further, to keep people informed and to have another interaction point with potential customers, or students applying for practical courses with us.

Maureen Bunter from the Hartlepool 6th form college offered a joint project in which some of her students could get their feet wet in creating an actual commercial website.

A shout-out goes out to Joshua Walker and Thomas Hutchinson from the Hartlepool 6th Form College for doing an amazing job on this site and being incredibly patient with me to bring me up to speed with all the stuff that goes on behind the slick outer surface of our new and amazing site!

All the best to you two and thank you again for setting us up with this pretty little website!